Seasons Greetings
by Ninathatcellokid
Summary: It's Iduna's first Christmas and she must navigate Arendelle, with the help of Agnarr, to learn about the holiday and make her own tradition. Loosely inspired by Olaf's Frozen Adventure. Note: Queen Rita is NOT an OC. She appears in one of the books that were released prior to Frozen 2.


Iduna raced through the town square, bubbling with excitement. Dodging one person after another, she scanned the town, looking for her best friend, who also happened to be the King of Arendelle. Today was her first Christmas celebration and for the occasion, the orphanage's head, Mrs. Hansen, gave all the girls new dresses and pocket money. Her younger friend Freya adorned her hair with special ribbons and one of the older girls even allowed her to try her makeup. Iduna never felt happier. As she raced through the streets, she marveled at all of the decorations that covered the homes and shops. Colorful flags depicting the Yule goat hung on every window, door, and bridge, wreaths adorned every door she passed, and families were all outside celebrating the holidays together. The sweet smell of baked goods filled the streets as bakers tirelessly prepared for the kingdom-wide celebration. The clock tower then chimed, signaling the start of the new hour and the Yule Bell Ceremony. As the townspeople slowly started to make their way towards the castle courtyard, Iduna gasped in glee. The bell ringing is about to start! Agnarr is there! She sprinted across the bridge, dodging the dense crowd. As she entered the courtyard, she wriggled her way through the crowd towards the front. When she finally found a comfortable spot, she beamed in excitement.

The young King Agnarr stood proudly beside his mother, the Queen Regent Rita as they prepared the Yule Bell for the ringing ceremony. As she observed her friend, Iduna couldn't contain her excitement as pride for Agnarr swelled in her heart. Her playful friend now looked so regal and proper as he stood with his mother and advisors at the castle's doors. He was wearing a more formal coat than his usual green one that was outlined in gold threading with Christmas designs adorning the ends of his sleeves. His breeches were a dark blue color that contrasted with his white stockings and buckled shoes. His hair was more neatly combed than usual and he was wearing a longer cravat that was tucked into his shirt. His mother was literally sparkling in the bright afternoon sun, her dark blue and purple dress complimented by a grand necklace and long diamond earrings. A cape outlined in white fur adorned her shoulders and her blonde hair was neatly tucked into a bun, with a small tiara decorating the top of her head.

Iduna waved, trying to get Agnarr's attention to wish him luck in his speech. A few days before, he told her he was going to give a speech at the Yule Bell Ceremony and that he was nervous, as this is the first time he would give a speech in front of the entire kingdom. It was the first Christmas without King Runeard, and Agnarr, with the help of his mother, constructed a memorial speech to commemorate the late king. Before she could call out to him, the sound of a trumpet fanfare filled the courtyard, silencing everyone. Agnarr turned his head towards his mother, who gave him a reassuring nod and quickly fixed his coat. He then stepped forward as the royal family was being announced by one of the members of the castle staff. Iduna flashed him a thumbs up, prompting one of the elderly people standing next to her to shake his head. Ashamed, she quickly put her hands in her coat pockets as Agnarr began his speech.

"Hello everyone! Today we are gathered to celebrate the coming of the holiday season. For all of us, it is a day of joy and celebration but today we are doing something a little different. Today marks the first holiday we will be celebrating without my beloved father, King Runeard."

The young king looked down at his feet, clearing his throat before continuing. Iduna held her breath, not wanting to miss a single word.

"My father was an extraordinary man. He was a skilled solider, a cunning politician, and a talented musician. There wasn't something he couldn't do. He was my role model and as I grew, I aspired to be just like him. However, outside of the battlefield and the conference table, my father was a man. Just a regular man who loved his family, his hobbies, and his people. As a matter of fact, winter was his favorite time of year and whenever the holidays came, he was arguably the most festive person in the kingdom. On Christmas Eve after the celebrations, our family would gather to play instruments and sing our favorite Christmas carols, my father playing the lute and my mother playing the piano. That was only one of our many traditions. My favorite is the one where we race our horses in the snow on Christmas Day. At the end, he and I would be laughing at the expense of our poor, snow covered horses."

Agnarr paused, laughing slightly at the memory. All around her, people had huge smiles on their faces and Iduna came to realize just how much they loved their rulers. Slightly shivering, Iduna wrapped her scarf around her cheeks as she eagerly waited for Agnarr to continue.

"Those were some good times," Agnarr said. "But, we are not here to mourn or to dwell in the past. We are here together to honor his legacy by having the annual kingdom wide celebration to celebrate my father and to continue his traditions. Well, thanks for joining me and let the holidays begin!"

Agnarr and Rita stepped towards the rope that was hanging in front of them. Together, they pulled the rope and the ringing of the Yule Bell echoed throughout the courtyard. Everyone around her began to cheer as Iduna bounced up and down, grinning from ear to ear. As people slowly made their way to the food tables scattered around the courtyard and the main, Iduna remained in her spot, hoping to speak to her friend. She knew she was potentially intruding upon Agnarr's holiday with his family, but she wanted to wish him a merry Christmas and give him a gift she bought with her weekly allowance. She waved at Agnarr, who was conversing with his mother and two other important looking people. Luckily, he saw her and gave her a toothy grin. After quickly hugging the woman next to his mother, he made his way over to Iduna.

"Iduna!" He exclaimed as he approached her. "I'm glad you came!"

Iduna beamed in excitement as she threw her arms around her friend.

"Of course I came! I even got a front row view!" She said. "I loved your speech!"

Agnarr looked at his friend, smiling proudly and puffing out his chest.

"Thank you! Was my voice regal enough?" He asked with a playfully formal tone.

Iduna burst into giggles, playfully nudging Agnarr's arm.

"It was very regal indeed," she said between giggles. "Your voice was as clear as the water in the fjord!" Before she could say another compliment, Agnarr quickly grabbed her hand and brought her over to Queen Rita and the people Agnarr was speaking to before. Iduna blushed. _He's bringing me over to the queen! _She thought as her mind began to spin. _What do I say? Do I curtesy or bow? What will she think of me?_

"Mother, I would like you to meet someone," Agnarr said as they approached the space where Rita was standing. Iduna's heart raced as she quickly curtsied the way she was taught at the orphanage.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty," said Iduna, trying to hide the tremor behind her voice. "Your kingdom is a beautiful place." _Really?_ Iduna immediately thought as she cringed at her greeting. _Out of all things to say to the Queen of Arendelle, that's it? _With a sheepish grin, she looked up. However, Rita did not seem upset. In fact, she gave her a small smile and took the younger girl's hands in her own.

"Iduna," Rita said, her voice as smooth as velvet. "I have heard many things about you from my son. I hope you enjoy your first Christmas in Arendelle."

Iduna grinned as she took in what just happened. The queen knew her name! She stood, unsure of what to say next before Agnarr spoke up.

"Mother, do you mind if I take Iduna around to show her all the celebrations?" He asked. "I'll be back for supper. Please?"

"Of course. Have fun and stay warm. And don't forget to show Iduna the skating rink!" She turned to Iduna. "I think you'll love it," she added with a small twinkle in her eye.

"Of course, Mother. I love you, see you soon!" Said Agnarr as he began to run towards the village center. "Come on, Iduna!"

"Thank you again for welcoming me, Your Majesty! And Merry Christmas!" Added Iduna, curtsying once more before chasing after Agnarr.

The two teenagers ran into the town square, where they encountered many people dancing and singing christmas carols. Children ran all over, playing with the new toys that they had received from their parents while other adults tried to keep animals away from the food tables. Iduna and Agnarr made their way over to a small shop in the center of the square: Blodget's Bakery. Every since Agnarr took her there for the first time, Iduna could never get over the taste of their famous butter biscuits. When they reached the bakery, Iduna ran inside. The sweet smell of butter and sugar filled her nose as Agnarr walked over to the counter.

"Can we please have ten butter biscuits?" Agnarr asked as he pulled out a couple of coins from his pocket. The baker quickly bowed his head at the young royal before disappearing in the back to fetch the biscuits.

"You got ten this time?" Asked Iduna excitedly, standing beside Agnarr at the counter. "Usually you only buy a few."

Agnarr shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, it's Christmas. And you get to have most of them because I want to be hungry for the feast I'm gonna have later at home."

"Really?" Iduna asked, surprised. "You're gonna have a feast?"

"Yes," said Agnarr as the baker came back out with their box of cookies. "Come with me and I'll tell you all about our holiday traditions." He turned to the baker. "Thank you, sir! Have a wonderful Christmas!"

As the two walked out of the bakery with their cookies in hand, Iduna suddenly remembered to ask Agnarr about the two mysterious people who were with him during the bell ringing. There wasn't any particular reason she was so curious about them, only because she never saw them before and they had a striking resemblance to Agnarr and especially Rita.

"May I ask you a question?" Iduna asked as she reached into the box to grab a biscuit.

"Of course," said Agnarr, holding the box open for Iduna.

"Who were those people you were with earlier at the bell ringing? I don't think I've seen them before because whenever you and your mother are in public, it's only the two of you."

"Oh!" Exclaimed Agnarr, cheeks flushing slightly. "They are my mother's siblings, my Uncle Cornelius and Aunt Freida. They're here to celebrate Christmas with us this year."

"Well, your aunt looks exactly like your mother," said Iduna. "Yeah, I know siblings look similar but she looks the exact same."

"That's because they're twins."

"Oh, wow!" Said Iduna, fascinated. "Are they King and Queen of someplace?"

"Cornelius is the King of my mother's home kingdom but Freida isn't."

Iduna scrunched her face in confusion. Ever since she came out of the forest, she slowly learned the ways and practices of the modern world, but monarchies always confused her. If they are all royal, how come they aren't the king or queen? Never mind, she would save the royal discussions for another time. Right now, she wanted to learn all about the Arendellian Christmas celebrations. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a vendor selling cane-shaped objects of all different colors. Curiously, she ran over to him, hoping to purchase a few. As she stood in front of the vendor, her jaw dropped in awe as a rainbow of colors filled her vision. As her eyes darted from one cane to another, a voice snapped her out of her trance.

"Hello, miss," said the vendor, giving Iduna a kind smile. "How can I help you today?"

Iduna blinked, unsure of what to say.

"Um, may I ask what these are?" She asked, composing herself.

The vendor chuckled and reached for one of the canes.

"These, dear, are candy canes. They're fresh and homemade!"

"Canes?" Asked Iduna, tilting her head. "Like the ones old people use?"

"Not really," said a voice behind her. Iduna quickly spun around and found herself face to face with an amused Agnarr. Sheepishly, she stepped aside as Agnarr took the cane from the vendor and held it up for her to look.

"You see, these are candy canes. It's just candy people like to enjoy during Christmas. A lot of families, like Mr. Hansen here, make them and sell them during the celebrations."

"Wait, so you eat these?" Asked Iduna as her eyes darted between and Agnarr.

"Yes indeed," said . "I don't see what else you would use them for," he added with a friendly chuckle.

"Are they crunchy like cookies?"

"No, you're supposed to put them in your mouth and suck on them."

"Ok. I'm really sorry, it's just that I've never seen these before," said Iduna bashfully. "I'm learning."

Agnarr turned to the vendor. "Iduna's new to the kingdom, so I'm showing her our traditions. So, I'll take a few, any color."

"Of course, Your Majesty," said Mr. Hansen as he choose a few colorful candy canes from his stash. "I hope you enjoy them, Miss," he said as he handed them a small box.

After their purchase, the two continued walking through the town, dodging more dancers and musicians with candy canes in their mouths.

"These are so good," said Iduna, sucking on her candy cane as Agnarr pulled her to a shop window. "I could eat these all day!"

"I know," said Agnarr. "They're one of my favorite parts of Christmas. On that note, do you want to see another tradition?"

"I would love to," said Iduna between licks as Agnarr pointed to the window in front of them. In it, an object with eight candles in a U-shape sat at the window for them to see.

"That's a menorah," said Agnarr. "It's a Jewish tradition to light it on each night of Chanukah, the holiday Jews celebrate in place of Christmas."

"Wow," breathed Iduna, pressing her forehead to the window to get a better glimpse of the golden object. It amazed her how people could be so different and believe in different things. In her classes in the orphanage, she learned all about the world around her and the diverse population it had. She never imagined there was a bigger world outside the Enchanted Forest and wondered how similar people could have such different beliefs. As she learned in class and from various citizens, Arendelle was a safe place where people of different races and beliefs could live together in harmony and now, as she walked through the streets with Agnarr, she could see how all the different traditions coexisted.

"They also play a game with a small toy called the 'dreidel'," added Agnarr as he pointed to a small spinning top resting in the corner of the window. "There are four symbols and when you play, there are certain rules you follow when a certain symbol lands after its spun."

"Wow," Iduna said again. The two stood in a comfortable silence, staring inside the window before Iduna's eyes opened wide and she let out a large gasp. With a large grin, she turned to Agnarr.

"You alright?" He asked, concern flooding over his large green eyes.

"Yes, but I have one question," said Iduna. She took a breath. "Everyone seems to have their traditions, with many baking goodies and candy canes and others lighting menorahs and playing games. We should make our own tradition! Just one between you and me!"

"I think I have a solution," he said, pretending to think. "Would you follow me, Miss Iduna." He took her hand and the two made their way back through the town and towards an open space populated by a couple dozen of people. Spotting a bench, Agnarr led Iduna over and they placed their purchases on it. Iduna looked at her friend, slightly confused.

"Um, what are we doing exactly?" she asked.

"We're at the ice rink!" Said Agnarr, gesturing towards the open area that was covered in smooth ice. "Let's go!" With a playful smirk, he led Iduna onto the ice, where the two immediately began to slip. Within seconds, they were on the ground, Iduna having landed directly onto her bottom. _Good, no one else noticed, _she thought as she looked around. Wincing, she turned to Agnarr, who was laying flat on his back, laughing. She scooted over to him, playfully ruffling his hair.

"Looks like someone forgot their skates," she teased, pointing to Agnarr's buckled shoes. The boy groaned as he looked at his feet.

"Ugh, yes. My formal shoes make the perfect skates," he said with an eye roll. "These things are so slippery I slip when I wear them in the ballroom."

"Well," said Iduna as the two stood up again. "I guess I'm lucky that I'm wearing these comfortable winter boots instead!" At that, she gracefully slid across the ice away from a puzzled Agnarr.

"Hey!" He called out. "What are you doing?"

"Skating," said Iduna stating the obvious. She lifted one leg and twirled on one foot. "Ready?" She twirled around the skating rink, closing her eyes and laughing as the wind blew through her hair. It reminded her of the times where she and the younger Northuldra would slide on the frozen lake as they watched the adults frantically slide after them. Surrounded by lights, decorations, and memories, she slid blissfully.

Agnarr attempted to follow her with limited results, falling almost as quickly as he stood up.

"How do you do this?" He called out. "Wait!"

Iduna let out another laugh, gracefully sliding back towards Agnarr. She held out her hands and he quickly grabbed them, looking like a newborn reindeer as he shakily stood back up.

"Thanks, Iduna," Agnarr said as he stood up straight. "I must admit, I don't have much experience on ice."

"It's alright," said Iduna. "Here, I'll teach you!" She pulled Agnarr along as she gracefully slid on the ice. It seemed like an eternity as they glided across the ice in silence, taking in the time they had together. As Iduna began to start a twirl, the bell tower chimed. Surprised, she tripped over her foot, sending both teenagers down on the ice. Iduna let out a loud squeal and Agnarr yelped in pain.

"Ouch, that was my leg," said Agnarr as he rubbed his thigh.

"I hit my butt again," said Iduna, moaning in pain as crawled to her friend.

"Are you alright? Your bottom as well?"

"Yes! Sorry, the bell tower rang and it surprised me," admitted Iduna.

"Oh!" Agnarr pulled his pocket watch.

"It's four o'clock! I have to be back at the castle at five. You want to head back though town and do a few things before I go?"

"Of course!"

The two sore friends made their way back to the bench, where they gathered their belongings before heading back to the main square. It was much quieter now as the people were returning to their homes to celebrate their own traditions. After buying some pastries and a stocking, Agnarr led her over towards the castle, where they stopped by the bridge. Quickly, he reached into his pocket and held out a small present with red and green wrapping paper.

"Before I go, I wanted to give this to you," said Agnarr as Iduna took it from his hands and started to unwrap it. When she opened the box, she held her breath and tears of joy filled her eyes. It was a small silver necklace with a small pendent with Arendelle's coat of arms engraved on it.

"Th-this?" She asked, barely able to form words. "For me?"

"Yup," said Agnarr. "Since Arendelle is your new home, I wanted to let you know you are welcomed and loved here."

Tears streamed down Iduna's face as she impulsively wrapped her arms around her friend. He returned the gesture with a small smile.

"Thank-Thank you so much," she said. "And I have something for you!"

Releasing Agnarr from her bear hug, she gave him a small box. "Sorry it isn't wrapped," she added. "The orphanage ran out of wrapping paper."

"That's alright," said Agnarr cheerfully, opening his gift as Iduna watched in excitement. She hoped he would like it. She tried to get him a bigger and more meaningful present, but they cost too much. However, a snow globe with his favorite animal seemed to be a great idea because his face lit up when he saw it.

"Iduna, I love this," he said as he shook the snow globe. "The horse has the same color as mine!" Before he could say something else, a servant man approached him from behind and cleared his throat. Both turned around.

"Your Majesty," he said, bowing his head. "The feast is starting soon and you are needed in the parlor." His eyes scanned the children in front of him. "And I would tidy up if I were you. Especially your hair," he added.

Agnarr chuckled.

"Thank you, Kai. I'll be in shortly." At that the servant, apparently named Kai, disappeared into the castle.

"Well, I guess that means I have to go," said Agnarr sadly. "But, on a brighter note, we each get to go back home and celebrate Christmas Eve! And now, we have a special Christmas tradition of our own to celebrate every year."

Iduna nodded, thinking back to their fun time at the ice rink. Before he could go, she placed her things on the ground and two hugged again.

"Thank you for taking me around and showing me your holiday celebrations," she said softly. "Are you going home to celebrate yours now?"

"Yes," said Agnarr. "It'll be an evening full of games, music and fun and I'll tell you all about it. And on Christmas Day tomorrow, there's even more to celebrate!"

"Well, Merry Christmas," she said as the young king began to walk towards the castle entrance. "Have fun with your family!"

"You too, Iduna! And thanks for the gift!" He called before disappearing behind the large double doors of the castle. As soon as they closed, Iduna gathered her newly acquired items and raced back over the castle's bridge. It was time to go back to the orphanage to hear stories and learn more about Christmas. Earlier that morning, her friend Freya was telling her about a man who sneaks down people's chimneys to give them gifts. Iduna thought it was absurd that someone would sneak into houses by falling down a chimney. Isn't that dangerous to have a strange man come into your home? She would have to talk to Agnarr about that one when she sees him again. Hugging her boxes close to her chest, Iduna ran back to the orphanage, content, happy, and ready for more celebration.


End file.
